Great question! Deck estimating software is a time-saving, accuracy-designed digital tool that deck builders use to convert measurements into documents that outline all costs of a project—from labor, and materials to markups, shipping and more. Deck design and estimating software allows deck builders to automate these calculations, leaving less room for human error that could lead to billing errors down the road. Additionally, deck estimating software helps decking contractors digitize their business, helping to keep estimates organized within the software program or app. As an added bonus, estimating software makes it seamless to share estimates with clients, other contractors or vendors. 

At minimum, a deck estimate should contain the following elements:

• Your company’s contact information
• Your client’s contact information
• Date the deck estimate was prepared
• Item names, quantities and price for each material required to execute a project (you can include labor in the price or as a separate line item)
• Subtotal, taxes, fees and the grand total
• A place for both parties to sign and date the estimate once approved

If you want to add a competitive edge to your estimate, we recommend including:

• Your company’s logo to add an extra dose of professionalism
• Inspirational images to help clients visualize what they’re getting
• Dreamy descriptions of items to show how you plan to use them
• Terms and conditions that include any important information your client should be privy to before signing
• A payment schedule so your client knows when to expect an invoice

Sign up for a free trial of Houzz Pro’s deck estimating software to create an estimate that includes all of these elements and more! Or, continue learning and explore our full guide on how to create a deck estimate with a free template.

When looking for an estimating software that suits your needs, be sure to consider the following features:

• Cloud-based: A cloud-based deck estimating software will help keep your estimates organized in the cloud so any team member, contractor or client can access them when they need to. It also ensures you only ever have one version of an estimate floating around to create a single source of truth.
• Integrations: The deck estimating software you choose should integrate with your other business tools so you don’t have to completely overhaul the way you work. Integrations with Gmail, Zoom and accounting software like QuickBooks Online are some important integrations to look for as you’ll commonly be using these tools to send and communicate your estimates, then align them with your business finances.
• All-In-One Tools: Deck estimating software is most useful for busy deck builders when it has other features that help optimize the entire project workflow. For example, if you use one tool to create your estimates and another to create invoices, you’ll be spending a lot of time entering the same data twice, which could hold you back from taking on more projects. Be sure to look for tools that can tackle takeoffs, estimates, invoices, change orders and more so you can achieve maximum business efficiency.

P.S. Houzz Pro’s deck estimating tool checks all of the boxes on this wishlist. Try a demo to see for yourself.

With a subscription to Houzz Pro’s deck estimating software, you also get access to these project-winning tools that help your business stand out from the competition:

• Proposals
• Mood boards
• 3D floor planner
• CRM

You can find more information about what features are included with each of our plans here.

When you subscribe to Houzz Pro’s deck estimating tool, you gain premium access to our support team. That means you get an exclusive phone number that directs you to an onshore team member and you get pushed to the top of the queue.

You also get personalized on-demand onboarding support, showing you how to properly use the specific features you want, when you want, to help get your business up and running with Houzz Pro. We also have a wide variety of help articles available in our Help Center and in-depth how-to videos on our YouTube channel.